Rise of the New Guardian
by regular daydreamer
Summary: Years after Pitch threatened the children of the world, a new threat has risen which threatens not only the world's children, but the world itself. A new guardian is chosen, but will she be able to help the other guardians to protect the children? Eventual Pitch/OC.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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Nat sighed in contentment. She had worked her absolute hardest this Summer to bring as much colour to the Earth as she was capable of creating.

She loved what she did. For so long she had wondered why the Man in the Moon had created her, leaving her with nothing but a name... Mother Nature. She had had no idea what her powers were or what she was capable of, but in the 400 years she had been on this Earth, Nat believed she had found her purpose. To protect nature, to bring new life to the earth and to make the most beautiful summers.

She added the last few blossoms to the old tree in her meadow. She adored the tree, it was like an old friend to her. It was the very first she had grown and was nearly as old as she was.

Giving her hand a final twirl, the blossoms began to slowly open, just in time for the sunrise which warmed the meadow and melted away the morning frost. That would show Jack Frost, she chuckled to herself. She remembered the day she first met the winter spirit. He was messing up her summers by bringing winter early and frosting over all her hard work. She was so mad that one year, as he was flying over her, she made a nearby tree move it's branch at the last minute and knock him out of the air.

After introducing themselves though, Jack broke the tension between the two by proposing they play a game, one which they had been playing for nearly 350 years now. The game was to see who could make their season last the longest. Jack would try and make the longest and coldest winters, bringing as many snow days as he could to the children of the world. Nat would try and make her summers last the longest, making her flowers break through Jack's Frost for as long as she could. As it stood, she was winning 179 summers to Jack's 171 winters. She was quite smug, but she had a feeling Jack was going to catch up eventually. Not if she could help it though.

It was coming towards the end of her season, and signs of Jack's winter had already begun to show. Nat closed her eyes listening to the gentle breeze that rustled the soft leaves of her tree. Opening her eyes again with a sigh, Nat was greeted by her butterfly friends, who also helped her to spread her summers. Nuzzling against her pale green cheek, some flew away to continue spreading pollen and making the most beautiful of flowers, while others rested in her flowing green hair that floated around her.

"Thank you my friends", she smiled, placing a bright blue one on the top of her head so it could rest. She loved her hair, the way the long green locks floated around her as if she were in water. It tended to attract a lot of nature itself though. Leaves of every colour poked out from the strands, with even bits of twigs tangled in there. But what she loved the most was the way her butterflies followed her in her duties by sitting in her wavy hair.

Nat was distracted when ice shot through the air above her, snowflakes swirling in the most intricate of patterns, and instantly chilling the air around her.

"A little early this year aren't we, Frost?" She smiled as he landed in front of her, freezing the grass he stood on.

"Winter can never start too early," Jack chuckled, "and this year there needs to be way more snow days!"

"Who needs snow days when you can have summer!" She squealed, jumping up and down. Summer made her so excited, just seeing nature springing to life. She laughed as her butterflies fluttered around Jack's head, despite the fact he froze all their hard work, they loved the mischievous winter spirit.

"So what brings you to my meadow, Jack?" She asked, floating into the air and crossing her slender legs.

"The guardians have sent me to come and get you", he made little snowflakes chase and twist around Nat's butterflies, chuckling as the butterflies hid in the pocket of his blue hooded sweater.

"What do the guardians want with me, they've never called for me before?" She sat puzzled. Sure she was friends with the guardians individually, she was especially close with Bunnymund who she could talk to about anything. She always tried to make the most beautiful of Springs just in time for his Easter holiday.

"Well, you'll find out if you come with me won't you?" He grinned at Nat, "Race you to North's place!", he shouted before letting the wind lift him into the air and carry him towards the North Pole as fast as it could carry him.

"Hey! You got a head start!" She cried, floating off after him.

Jack glanced behind him to see Nat following him, but not nearly quick enough to overtake him. She might be winning their little game, but he would definitely win this race.

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AN: So hi guys! I hope you liked it. I have a few chapters already typed up, so I'll be uploading them soon. What are people's thoughts of Mother Nature? I've based a lot of her looks on the spring spirit in Disney's Fantasia 2000 with a few tweaks of my own. Anyway, I hope you like it, any feedback is welcome :)


	2. Chapter 2

Re-uploaded chapter! Sorry about all the code, I've not a clue what happened there.  
>Disclaimer: I own nothing.<p>

"You still cheated", Nat grumbled as she walked alongside Jack through North's workshop. Yetis were rushing past them, making all the toys they could. There was only a few months left before Christmas, and they wanted to make the most perfect toys in time for the holiday.

"Did not", he nudged her arm playfully before floating to where the other guardians stood around the stone circle with pictures of them all carved into the hard surface.

"Okay? What's going on?" She questioned suspiciously. All of them were grinning at her, and Tooth looked so excited she could burst.

"Man in Moon has decided to make you new guardian!" North declared, opening his arms wide, and laughing at Nat's look of utter confusion.

Tooth squealed and flew over to her, zipping from side to side in the air in excitement as baby Tooth's surrounded Nat's head in a feathery halo.

"I knew you would become a guardian one day, I just knew it", Tooth clapped her hands together, she was so happy for her friend to finally join them in protecting the world's children.

"I'm happy for you too, Sheila! Always knew you had it in you!" Bunny hopped over to Nat and picked her up into a big fluffy hug.

Sandy floated next to them and a golden party popper made from sand floated above his head and popped, showering golden confetti everywhere in celebration.

"Whoa! Just wait a minute!" She pulled away from Bunny and looked at them in complete shock. "Why would I ever be picked to be a guardian, I grow plants, I don't think I'm really qualified to protect children, so why would he pick me?" Nat ranted on. She never thought this would happen to her, she was happy enough breathing life into the world's wilderness.

"We not know why Man in Moon picked you", North tried to explain, using his hands to form the sentence his words couldn't. "He... just... did," he scratched his head, at a loss for words.

"But he only picks guardians when there's danger, the children haven't been in danger since Pitch's nightmares years ago!" She exclaimed. Tooth winced slightly, the memory still fresh in her mind from when Pitch had stolen her fairies.

"Sorry Tooth", Nat mumbled.

"I don't think there's any danger, Nat", Jack placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze in response. 'Maybe he picked you just because you would make a good guardian'.

"I know this might be tough on you Sheila, but Manny must believe that you'd make a good protector of the little nippers", Bunny tried to calm Nat down, who had started to shake with nerves.

"But I don't look after children, I look after nature, most children don't even believe in me!" Nat pulled her hair in despair before crumpling to the floor. Her butterflies fluttered around her head, trying to cheer her up, but she gently waved her hand at them to shoo them away.

"But they will", North smiled warmly, "and you don't just protect nature, you protect life, so you will be the guardian of life and all living things!", he said as he crouched down to where she was on the floor.

"Every guardians has a centre", he explained. "Take me for example! My centre is Wonder. Jack's is fun", he stated in his strong Russian accent, "your centre... is life".

Nat tried to process all this information while trying not to break down, but no matter how many deep breaths she took it was not working.

"Look guys, it's not like I'm not honoured, but can I at least think about this for a bit?" She said, getting shakily up to her feet.

"Of course! Take all time you need", North patted her arm. "Jack also needed time to get used to idea of being guardian, is perfectly normal! Isn't that right Jack?" North slapped Jack's back, winding the poor winter spirit who coughed in response.

"It didn't take that much time for me to get used to the idea", Jack muttered under his breath, reaching over his shoulder to rub his back.

"You tell yourself that Jack", North chuckled.

Nat sighed, "I'll be back soon, I just need time to think".

"You know where to find us when you're ready, Sheila", Bunny hugged her again before hopping over to where Sandy stood.

"Thanks guys", Nat gave them a weak smile before floating off into the cold night, just as the snow started to thicken outside.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Tooth asked worriedly. She had never seen her like this, she thought being made guardian would make her happy!

"Only time will tell, but Natty will come round to idea, I'm sure!" North's voice boomed through the workshop, "I feel it in belly!"

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>AN: Thanks for reading guys, let me know if any of the guardians are ooc, I've only seen the film twice so I'm going from memory! Keep an eye out for the king of nightmares in the next chapter!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Nat landed in her meadow on her favourite tree and gazed up at the moon.

"Why me?" She questioned the Man in the Moon, knowing she would receive no answer. "I'm not special, I don't even know how to protect children!" She threw her hands up in frustration before sitting on one of the highest branches, giving her a perfect view of her meadow which was drowned in the light of the moon.

"What am I going to do?" She sighed as one of her butterflies landed in her cupped hands.

"Well, what has you this riled up? I could smell your fear from the other side of the world", a voice floated past her, frightening her to death and making her lose her balance on the tree branch.

Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the impact but instead two strong arms caught her around her shoulders and under her knees, pulling her in close.

"Jumpy tonight aren't we?" The soothing voice chuckled, his breath tickling the top of her head.

"Pitch! You scared me half to death!" She squealed, placing her head on his shoulder before letting out a nervous laugh. Tonight had been a long night.

"Now, that would be quite the difficult task when we're all immortal" Pitch grinned as he teased her.

"Oh hush! You knew what I meant!" She scolded before hopping out of his arms.

"Where are you going? I was just getting comfortable with you in my arms", Pitch pouted at her with his arms hanging loosely by his sides.

"Pitch, I'm not in the mood for your teasing tonight", she sighed, leaning against the rough bark of her tree and wrapping her arms around herself. She had never felt smaller in all her life.

"Oh now it must be serious if you're in no mood for my teasing", Pitch looked at her with concern, she had always enjoyed his teasing, she was the only one who ever did.

"Come Mother Nature, tell be what troubles you", he placed his hands gently on her arms in an effort to comfort her.

"The Man in the Moon has chosen me as the new guardian", she whispered as though it were a death sentence.

"Well that's certainly interesting", he looked questioningly up at the moon and then glanced back to her when he felt her beginning to tremble, "Now surely that's a good thing?" He asked innocently.

As much as he loathed and despised the guardians and how much the children believed in them, he didn't loath and despise her, she was his only friend after all. If she wanted to be a guardian, Pitch would, albeit begrudgingly, support her decision.

"What if I'm not good enough? What if I can't protect the children? What if they don't believe in me?" She sniffed, looking up into Pitch's piercing yellow eyes. Nat had always loved his eyes. They were so bright against his grey skin and pitch black hair; they looked like they glowed almost as bright as the moon.

"That's your fear isn't it", Pitch asked her sympathetically, "you're scared that you'll fail the children and the guardians", he guessed accurately. Fear was his specialty after all.

"But what if I do?" She buried her face in her small hands. Her butterflies fluttered their wings in her hair, letting her know they were there for her.

"Nat, look at me", Pitch gently pried her hands away from her heart shaped face, and gently cupped her cheek, wiping away a fallen tear with his thumb.

"You won't let the guardians down, they are loyal friends who all adore you. And I know you won't let the children down. I see every day the wonderful things you do, they're going to love you! You might not believe in yourself Nat, but I believe in you, and I know you will make a wonderful guardian".

Nat chuckled weakly before turning her face into his cool hand, rubbing her cheek against his smooth skin.

"Pitch, that was possibly the nicest thing that you've ever said to me. You're not sick are you?" She laughed, placing a hand to his cool forehead.

"Certainly not!" He chuckled, rubbing his neck in an awkward fashion.

"It'll be strange to actually like one of the guardians", he thought aloud. That truly would be strange! He'd been against the guardians for so long, and now here was his friend about to become one. What did the Man in the Moon possibly have planned?

"Wow Pitch, you flatter me", Nat joked, calming down significantly after hearing his words. His voice always had a soothing effect on her.

"And what is wrong with a bit of flattery?" Pitch laughed as they both started to walk through her meadow.

"Whatever would I do without you?" She asked, lightly bumping into him to make him stumble.

Pitch narrowed his eyes in thought, "Nat, you were the only soul in this entire world who believed that I still deserved a chance, even when the world turned its back on me, when the guardians turned their back on me. Despite all the wrong I've done, you have always been there for me", Pitch took a nervous pause. "My dearest friend, I will always be here for you, I hope you know that", he said seriously.

"I know", Nat smiled up at him, unshed tears shone in her eyes as they threatened to spill over and down her freckled cheeks.

"Well I think we've shown enough emotion for one night", Pitch joked. "Want to help me spread nightmares to all the naughty children of the world?" He asked as he summoned one of his nightmare horses. The creature galloped towards them and stomped its black hooves on the ground when it reached them.

Pitch pulled himself onto the back of the black mare and held his hand out for Nat.

"The nightmare king asking me to join him on his nightly haunts? Why I am truly honoured!" She smiled before taking tight hold of his hand as he pulled her up behind him.

"Thank you for tonight Pitch", she whispered in his ear gently before reaching up and kissing his cheek. Blushing furiously the forest spirit quickly buried her head between his sharp shoulder blades, and clutched his mid section as if her life depended on it. She loved Pitch's horses, but she still wasn't used to how fast they could run, and sometimes it terrified her.

Pitch raised a hand and delicately touched the patch of skin she had just kissed and smiled. Nat always kissed him on the cheek in a way he was sure was only friendly, but it never failed to stop his heart for just a beat and spread a warmth throughout his body.

Smiling to himself, he wrapped one of his hands in the mare's mane, and the other he placed on top of Nat's arms that were still looped around his middle. "Hold on", he smirked over his shoulder before squeezing the mare gently with the heels of his feet. Rearing slightly the horse galloped into the night, taking her master towards the nearest town so he could deliver his delicious nightmares to all the naughty children that deserved them.

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>AN: So what do you guys think of Nat and Pitch's friendship? :) The next chapter will be up soon!<p> 


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